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| TAXONOMY OF THE LOPHOPHORATA | |||||
Lophophorate protostomes have long been recognized as related (Caldwell, 1882 cited in Valentine, 2004). Although they are quite different from each other, they all have a particular feeding apparatus called a lophophore, a structure made of hollow tentacles that are ciliated. The monophyly of the groups and their relationship with annelids and mollusks (Halanych et al., 1995) helped to secure their position in the protostomes and associate them with the taxa that have a trochophore larva into a larger group called Lophotrochozoa. Note that Nielsen (2001) considers the lophophorate condition to be ancestral in the clade of the Bilateria which would make it a plesiomorphic character. This view has been borne out by several independent studies summarized by Halanych (2004) and Peterson and Eernisse (2001). If so, this group of taxa would be paraphyletic. Please consult The Major Clades of the Animal Kingdom for some views on the relationships of the eucoelomate protostome phyla with each other and with the other phyla of protostomes.
PHYLUM ECTOPROCTA (BRYOZOA)
CLASS PHYLACTOLAEMATA (1 ORDER)
Cristatella, Hydinella, Pectinatella, Lophopus, Lophopodella, Plumatella.
CLASS STENOLAEMATA (1 ORDER)
Actinopora, Crisia, Diaperoecia, Disporella, Idmodronea, Tubulipora.
CLASS GYMNOLAEMATA (2 ORDERS)
Aethozoon, Alcyonidium, Alcyonium, Amathia, Bowerbankia, Flustrellidra, Nolella, Tubiporella, Victorella.
Bugula, Callopora, Carbasea, Cellaria, Clavopora, Conopaeum, Cornucopina, Cribilaria, Cryptosula, Cupuladria, Electra, Eurystomella, Flustra, Hippothoa, Membranipora, Metrabdotus, Microporella, Pentapora, Pherusella, Porella, Pyripora, Rhamphostomella, Schizoporella, Thalamoporella, Tricellaria.
CLASS INARTICULATA (2 ORDERS)
Crania, Discinisca, Glottidia, Lingula, Pelagodiscus.
CLASS ARTICULATATA (3 ORDERS)
Argyrotheca, Chilidonophora, Dallina, Gryphus, Hemithyris, Lacazella, Laqueus, Liothyrella, Magellania, Orthis, Terebratula, Terebratulina, Terrebratella, Thecidellina, Trichosina.
CLASS PHORONATA
Phoronis, Phoronopsis
This page is maintained by Jack R. Holt. Last modified: 02/10/08.